Freekbass : Junkyard Waltz

Striking, original and downright funky, bass-master Freekbass returns with a new disc, Junkyard Waltz, that is populated with friends and some of the finest musicians of the past decade.

Getting down to business on "Big Bang Bionic," Freekbass leads the pack with booming solos, stop-start rhythms and fluent propulsive bursts on the bottom end. Guitarist Buckethead joins him with one slashing lead attack after another, and the duo’s ritualistic barrage sets the body to move and groove. The title track engages in all star assistance from former Deep Banana Blackout lead vocalist Jen Durkin and Phish’s Mike Gordon, who adds raging undercurrents on solo bass 2 and deep impact synth bass guitars. "Higher" takes the band to another level, as wunderkind keyboardist Bernie Worrell gets down and dirty on moog synthesizer. And mentor Bootsy Collins contributes much needed percussive vibrations on the rocker, "Pretty Heavy Balance."

Produced by Tobe Donohue, Junkyard Waltz expands the Freekbass family with startling results, and jumps right into the Claypool region of rhythm and blues madness that has inspired the jam band kingdom.